A student of Ranchi’s reputed St John’s School, Nitish Kumar Mahato attends school in the day and works as a security guard by night, guarding a residential apartment in Morhabadi locality.

ranchiUpdated: Jun 04, 2017 16:03 IST

B Vijay Murty Hindustan Times, Ranchi

Nitish Kumar Mahato works part-time as a security guard at an apartment. He scored 87.60% in his board exams. (Parwaz Khan/HT Photo)

Student by day and a security guard by night! That’s Nitish Kumar Mahato, a young lad from Jharkhand capital Ranchi, who despite having a challenging childhood after his father died, has scripted a success story worth emulating by thousands of youngsters , who give up easily.

A student of Ranchi’s reputed St John’s School, Nitish attends classes in the day and dons the cap of a security guard by night, guarding a residential apartment in Morhabadi locality.

But while discharging his duties efficiently, he keeps his books with him all the time and burns the midnight oil to realise his dream of becoming an engineer.

His efforts paid rich dividends last weekend, when he scored a whopping 87.60 % in the Jharkhand Class 10 board results. For the 16-year-old, the good score is a giant leap towards achieving his goal and he desires to sustain the performance till he cracks IIT.

In his school, Nitish is the sixth highest scorer and among the few hundred in the state to cross the magical figure of 85 %. In a year, when the pass percentage is as low as 57 % , one of the worst in last 10 years, Nitish has scripted history by becoming a topper, facing challenges and adversities bravely.

Residents of Shantiniketan Apartment, where he lives in the small guard’s room with his mother and works as a guard, are enthused by the young lad’s performance. A couple of flat dwellers have come forward to assist him in his further studies.

One Rajendra Tiwari, who has been assisting the boy in the past, has assured that he would ensure Nitish doesn’t drop out of school for any financial constraints, but the boy now doesn’t need money only, but also proper guidance and coaching to crack IIT.

A bright student since childhood, Nitish’s tryst with a cruel destiny has been long and painful. He had just stepped into Class 10 last year when he lost his father, a security guard at the same apartment where he is currently working. With the bread earner of the family gone forever, the responsibility of looking after his widowed mother and a school going sister fell on to him..